Bar manufacturers are working hard to compete in a crowded marketplace by improving formulas, launching new flavors, and meeting consumer demands such as reduced sugar.

How nutrition bar manufacturers are competing in a crowded marketplace

There are an estimated 160,000 species of fish and aquatic mollusks, crustaceans, and plants, of which only 1.1% are currently fished or harvested, and only 0.3% of which are currently farmed.

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Fun fact! There are an estimated 160,000 species of fish and aquatic mollusks, crustaceans and plants, of which only 1.1% are currently fished or harvested, and only 0.3% of which are currently farmed. 

Only 1% of sea life is harvested, putting strain on small number of species

Imbibe (Niles, IL) released its top five U.S. beverage trend predictions for 2021. According to Imbibe, the number one driver of food and beverage trends in 2021 will be COVID-19, with products that promote health and wellness, escapism, and value in the spotlight, as they products offer relief from the stress and challenges consumers are facing amid the pandemic. 

The focus for 2021 will be maintaining a healthy body and mind by staying physically fit, eating a better diet, and taking measures to improve emotional health. Imbibe said the food and beverage industry will need to consider safety, which will affect how and where consumers shop. Further, consumers will be more cost-conscious, but there will still be space for premium products that provide exciting experiences.

 Consumers will be interested in ingredients that promote gut health, improve hydration, and have anti-inflammatory properties. They will also focus on weight management and getting in shape. Sports nutrition products will play a major role in this trend.

 Consumers are feeling anxious and stressed, so they will seek out products that support relaxation, mental clarity, and sleep. Consumers will look to products for comfort as well, which means product developers will focus on launching permissibly indulgent products with better-for-you ingredients. For example: reducing sugar or swapping it out for stevia, monk fruit, allulose, and others. Comfort will also be delivered through use of nostalgic flavors such as s’mores and birthday cake, and seasonal flavors such as lemonade in the summer and pumpkin in the fall.

Given the restriction due to COVID-19, consumers will seek out products that provide adventurous culinary experiences at home. Think ready-to-drink cocktails that offer a handcrafted experience but don’t require purchasing multiple ingredients. Kombucha, enhanced beer, cider, and seltzer will also satisfy consumers desires for better-for-you ingredients. This will also bring a resurgence of do-it-yourself (DIY) kits, such as meal kits, DIY alcohol fermentation, mixology, dairy-alternative milks, and kombucha. Flavors will be experimental and inspired by other cultures such as Mediterranean flavors like blood orange, orange blossom, bergamot, figs, and dates. There will also be continued growth of flavors from Latin America like guava, chamoy, and mango chili lime and flavors from Asia like yuzu, calamansi, tamarind, and cardamom.

Consumers are purchasing items that make them feel safe. For foodservice brands, this means they will need to be transparent about business practices, so consumers feel safe eating out. Consumers will be paying attention to product packaging and will be more accepting of single-use and tamper-proof packaging because of concerns about hygiene and contamination. Online shopping will continue to boom. 

Because infection rates are rising, consumers are stocking up on groceries, but those purchases need to be at a lower price point. As such, Imbibe predicts there will be an explosion of innovation from private label brands who will launch products in growing categories like dairy alternative milks, immunity beverages, and alcohol. In turn, name brands will also offer value to consumers by launching multi-serve products, variety packs with multiple flavors, and shelf-stable options.

According to Imbibe, the number one driver of food and beverage trends in 2021 will be COVID-19, with products that promote health and wellness, escapism, and value in the spotlight.

Imbibe releases its top 5 beverage trend predictions for 2021

It is probably not an exaggeration to say that everybody eats bars in some form, and there is no shortage of options available to consumers. For manufacturers, this means competing in a very crowded marketplace.

A good example of how brands are fighting for the hearts and minds of the public is a recent battle between two bar titans: Clif Bar & Company and Kind LLC.

This fight saw a challenge issued by Clif Bar against KIND for claiming in a commercial that KIND bars contain 75% less sugar than the leading Clif bar. The commercial depicted a comparison between Clif’s bestselling Clif Chocolate Chip bar (20 g of sugar) and KIND Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt Bar (5 g of sugar). In this case, which went to the National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs, KIND won. NAD said the claim was accurate, but also recommended that KIND modify the commercial so that consumers understand that the comparison only applies to the specific products depicted. On the whole, NAD found the commercial to be reasonable and not falsely disparaging.

Given the level of saturation taking place in the category, though, it is unsurprising that Clif took measures to ensure the brand’s integrity remains intact. So many brands are doing their best to differentiate themselves from the competition and excel.

How can a bar brand differentiate itself today? One company, Built Bar, provides some examples of what bar brands are doing to compete. After two years on the market, Built Bar recently announced a rebrand that included a new look to its product line as well as improved texture of its bars, new flavors, and new additions to the product portfolio.

“The rebrand came at a time when we began recognizing opportunities to improve and evolve with the industry, our target market, and production. We recognized a need to evolve the aesthetic of our branding, and there was also an opportunity to yield customer feedback and introduce certain permanent flavors into our flavor offerings,” says Nick Greer, cofounder and CEO of Built Brands. “We had production [improvement] opportunities due to our previous equipment that caused more inconsistencies in the bar-making process. This process—the implementation of the new aesthetic, new production equipment, and new flavors—has made our bar more delicious and desirable than ever before.”

Of course, texture is not the only kind of improvement bar brands are actively seeking. “Most of the improvements we’re currently seeing revolve around ingredient removal,” says Chad Rieschl, senior research food technologist for ingredient supplier Cargill (Minneapolis, MN). “In addition to sugar reduction, some brands are moving away from dairy ingredients and allergens, with some even opting for grain-free formulations.”

This creates challenges in areas such as texture and flavor; luckily, creative solutions exist that can help brands meet multiple consumer demands. For example, according to new consumer research from Cargill, besides protein content, fiber content is a major attribute consumers look for in bar products. When asked to rank top snack bar attributes, 72% of respondents said they were very likely to purchase bars high in protein, 68% said they were very likely to purchase bars containing protein, and 57% said they were very likely to purchase bars containing fiber.

When it comes to attributes consumers want to avoid, high-fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, and sugar rank among the top. Ingredient suppliers are looking for better replacements for such ingredients, including chicory root fiber, which Cargill offers. “Many times, we turn to ingredients like chicory root fiber to replace syrups and other sugar-containing ingredients. As a result, the use of fiber in snack bars is increasing—but the emphasis is more on sugar reduction than fiber fortification,” Rieschl explains.

He highlights another growing development. “One of the biggest trends we’re seeing in the protein snack bar space is the move away from animal- and allergen-based proteins toward more plant-based options,” he continues. “As part of these new formulas, many fiber-containing ingredients are being used. Therefore, you may see many new bars that are high in protein and fiber as formulators use combinations of both groups of ingredients to produce bars with a favorable flavor and texture.”

While the bar space is competitive, the good thing is that its size allows for a broad and diverse consumer base, so you’re not all competing for the same customers, necessarily. However, as consumer preferences change, and more competitors enter the market, brand owners need to be nimble and adapt when necessary.

Sabinsa (East Windsor, NJ), in an effort to identify and remove adulterated vitamin C additives from the market, sent documentation to the appropriate government agencies, including the U.S Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission. The documents show two independent labs confirmed that an ingredient falsely marketed and sold as vitamin C derived from amla fruit (

) is actually derived from corn, sugarcane, or other plants, and may be considered adulteration under the Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act. In fact, amla only contains only trace amounts of ascorbic acid. 

“Sabinsa is working to bring such products to the attention of appropriate government agencies, and we urge the industry to exercise caution when purchasing ‘natural’ vitamin C additives and supplements,” said Muhammed Majeed, PhD, founder and chairman of Sabinsa, in a press release. “Absent independent IRMS analysis confirming the authenticity of such materials, they may be adulterated with biosynthetic vitamin C. This is especially a concern with purportedly ‘pure’ amla-based vitamin C additives. Because amla contains only trace amounts of vitamin C, such products are likely adulterated with vitamin C from other sources.”

Sabinsa, in an effort to identify and remove adulterated vitamin C additives from the market, sent documentation to the appropriate government agencies, including FDA and FTC. 

Sabinsa sends FDA and FTA documentation of adulterated amla ingredient

Aker BioMarine (Lysaker, Norway) has developed a pilot product and production method for lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) – bound EPA and DHA from krill. Currently, there is no commercially available LPC-EPA/DHA product on the market, so Aker will be scaling up the production process at its manufacturing plant in Houston, seeking out research collaborations to investigate the ingredient’s potential, and initiating collaborations with partners to eventually bring the ingredient to market in a finished product. Regulatory processes are underway, and Aker BioMarine expects approvals to launch a dietary supplement product to market by the end of 2022.

 in 2014 discovered that LPC was a primary carrier molecule of DHA across the blood brain barrier, dependent on the LPC transporter protein called Mfsd2A. This uptake mechanism, says Aker, can be applied broadly to other polyunsaturated fatty acids, including EPA, and has been identified in several other organs, such as the eyes. This discovery inspired Aker BioMarine to develop a method to produce LPC-bound EPA/DHA from krill and the resulting production process made a new compound it is calling Lysoveta.

“Our innovation team has spent the last six years working on the science and chemistry with a goal of bringing Lysoveta to the market. With Lysoveta, Aker BioMarine is the first company to produce LPC-bound EPA and DHA from krill. For us, this is a breakthrough in science and product development, launching a completely new platform to improve human health,” said Matts Johansen, CEO, Aker BioMarine, in a press release.

Because this is a new ingredient, more works needs to be done to understand it and unlock the potential for LPC in the dietary supplement space. “The scientific research on the connection between LPC and the targeted delivery of EPA/DHA, combined with our capabilities to produce LPC-bound EPA and DHA from krill at scale, gives us a unique position to be a central player in the development of this completely new product to support brain and eye health,” said Andreas Storsve, PhD, director research and development, human products at Aker BioMarine.

“We will actively seek collaboration with the scientific community and beyond to explore Lysoveta’s full potential and build more knowledge about how it may affect conditions surrounding cognitive and eye health,” adds Storsve. “We are the only company in the world ready to offer a supply of natural raw material to our partners and the research community to continue building our knowledge around LPC.”

Nguyen LN et al. “Mfsd2a is a transporter for the essential omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid.” 

Aker BioMarine has developed a pilot product and production method for lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) – bound EPA and DHA from krill

Aker BioMarine develops new ingredient from krill for cognitive and eye health called Lysoveta

Advertising is complicated. There are nuanced regulations companies must follow—or risk finding themselves on the receiving end of an NAD complaint. While it’s true that the National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs isn’t a regulatory body and its rulings aren’t legally binding, unresolved complaints are referred by NAD to the Federal Trade Commission for investigation. An FTC investigation is a world of trouble, second perhaps only to criminal prosecution; hence, satisfying the NAD should be a top priority for every firm.

Staying on the right side of advertising law involves more than simply knowing to avoid disease-treatment claims. Here are some of 2020’s most notable NAD disputes—and the lessons companies can learn from them.

Social Media Endorsements & Testimonials Must Include Disclosures

Laura Brett, vice president of the NAD (New York City), says some of the cases brought before the NAD this year underscore the importance of clear, conspicuous disclosures when using endorsements, testimonials, and product reviews in marketing. One case involving Procter & Gamble’s (Cincinnati, OH) Bounty Paper Towels demonstrates the need for brands to ensure that disclosures carry across platforms.

“In this case dealing with advertising on TikTok, NAD reviewed ads by an influencer for Bounty Paper Towels,” Brett says. “The ad included clear and conspicuous disclosures on TikTok that didn’t transfer with the ad when it was shared on other platforms like Instagram. Procter & Gamble agreed to embed the disclosures going forward to ensure they would always appear with the ad whenever it was transferred to another platform.”

Brett says endorsements and testimonials should reflect an experience that is typical of what most consumers can generally expect. If the endorser’s experience isn’t credibly established to be typical, then the brand must clearly and conspicuously disclose the generally expected performance in the circumstances depicted.


More-Specific Health Claims Are Easier to Substantiate

While many cases involve brands making missteps or acting irresponsibly with their advertising, one NAD case from 2020 highlights a brand that did everything right. The Benefiber Healthy Balance case, decided in April 2020, was brought against Benefiber manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare (Brentford, UK) by Procter & Gamble. Procter & Gamble manufactures Metamucil, a competing product made with psyllium husk (

In this case, the NAD evaluated whether there was sufficient evidentiary support for the claim that Benefiber Healthy Balance “helps relieve occasional constipation and abdominal discomfort without causing diarrhea” based on studies submitted by both GlaxoSmithKline and Procter & Gamble. GlaxoSmithKline supported its claims with two expert declarations and a summary of 15 blind, placebo-controlled studies on partially hydrolyzed guar gum (PHGG), the active ingredient in Benefiber Healthy Balance. Procter & Gamble responded with a summary of 14 studies on PHGG and an expert declaration critiquing GlaxoSmithKline’s evidence.

The NAD determined that the challenger’s evidence wasn’t any more reliable than the advertiser’s studies, ultimately ruling that the claim is substantiated. Brett says this case demonstrates the importance of using high-quality evidence to support specific health claims.

“A combination of reliable tests can be looked at together to support health-related claims,” she explains. “Health claims are held to a higher standard of proof and must be supported by reliable scientific evidence, [which is why brands should] limit health-related claims to specific benefits.”

Comparative “Natural” Claims Must Be Substantiated

As consumers increasingly seek natural products, more companies are making claims of “natural ingredients” and “no artificial ingredients.” However, one case adjudicated in 2020 demonstrated that brands must provide substantiation for “natural” ingredient claims, especially when comparing their products with competitors.

Sports drink company Bodyarmor (Queens, NY) made missteps with “natural” claims earlier this year, as determined in a case brought by competitor Gatorade (Chicago, IL). Bodyarmor’s marketing for its flagship drink Bodyarmor and low-calorie option Bodyarmor Lyte made claims that Bodyarmor’s drinks are “more natural” and “contain more natural ingredients” than competing products Gatorade Thirst Quencher and Gatorade Zero.

In this case, the NAD ruled that Bodyarmor failed to substantiate its claim that its products contain a greater quantity of natural ingredients, either numerically or by volume, than Gatorade products. However, the NAD determined that Bodyarmor could continue to claim that it uses natural sweeteners, natural flavors, and coloring agents derived from natural sources.

The Bodyarmor case demonstrates that “natural” claims are more than mere puffery. Brett says companies should be as specific as possible when making “natural” claims and should specify which ingredients in the product are natural or which artificial ingredients have been removed.

Responsible advertising requires brands to be vigilant about not only the messages they use but also how those messages are positioned and displayed. This year’s competitor legal fights demonstrate the importance of making specific claims supported by high-quality evidence. Furthermore, this year’s cases have shown that endorsements and testimonials are always subject to the same rules regardless of whether they appear on TikTok or on television. These cases serve as timely reminders that even in 2020, and especially during a pandemic, truth in advertising matters.

Don’t let your brand make these advertising mistakes. 

Lessons from 2020’s most notable advertising disputes: Natural products edition

Mars Inc. (McClean, VA) has acquired KIND North America (New York City, NY). The two began their global partnership in

, when Mars bought a minority stake in the company in an agreement to grow KIND’s product offering and business globally. The deal gave Mars the option to fully acquire KIND down the road, and now KIND North America will join KIND International to create one organization across 35 countries, functioning as a distinct and separate business within the Mars Family of Corporations. As part of the agreement, KIND’s founder and executive chairman Daniel Lubetzky will retain an ongoing financial stake, and play a key role in the company’s future developments and expansion.

“When we began this partnership, I said it was one built on mutual admiration and a shared vision for growth,” said Grant F. Reid, CEO of Mars, in a press release. “After three years, you can see the impact, as together we have grown the healthy snacking category and brought KIND and the KIND Promise to 35 countries and into new categories. We’re delighted to continue to build on this success and welcome KIND North America into the Mars Family of Companies.”

“I am so proud of how well the Mars and KIND teams have complemented and strengthened each other over the past three years,” Lubetzky said in a press release. “We are now well positioned to further advance our efforts and continue building a foremost health and wellness platform. As we said in 2017, Mars is a company that shares KIND’s passion for business as a force for good, and I am confident that together, we will be able to make our small contribution to make this world a little kinder."

Mars Inc. has acquired KIND North America. The two began their global partnership in 2017, when Mars bought a minority stake in the company in an agreement to grow KIND’s product offering and business globally.

Mars Inc. acquires KIND, retaining leadership of Daniel Lubetzky

Beneo (Parsippany, NJ) launched a precooked, clean-label functional native rice starch, Remypure S52 P. It offers food manufacturers soft, creamy textures and excellent product stability, including harsh processing conditions such as shear and acid, as with dressings, sauces and dips, bakery fillings, and dairy desserts.

“With the increasing demand from consumers for transparent product labels, we are always looking for ways to help our customers meet these market demands,” said Benoit Tavernier, product manager specialty rice ingredients at BENEO, in a press release. “Remypure S52 P has been developed for food producers searching for an instant clean label texturizer for food preparations that can withstand harsh process conditions, while giving an additional creamy aspect to the texture of the end product. It is the first rice starch of its kind on the market for this type of application and has already been well received in a range of taste tests. With the now extended Remypure range of functional native rice starches, Beneo is well set to support existing and potential new customers in their development process of various new clean label products.”

In taste trials, Remypure S52 P performed well in spoonable dressings, ranch dips, and bakery creams, mainly regarding the recipes’ creamy textures and stability. 

Beneo launched a precooked, clean-label functional native rice starch, Remypure S52 P.

Beneo launches the first instant functional native rice starch for clean label applications 

Rousselot, extended its ProTake portfolio of hydrolyzed collagen for food and drink formulations with three new clean-label solutions: ProTake Bar, ProTake Powder, and ProTake Foods. Each product increases collagen content, reduces fat and sugar levels, and enhances taste and texture. 

“As consumer expectations for food and beverage varieties continue to become more sophisticated, the industry is facing rising pressure to deliver cleaner functional products that are both healthy and indulgent,” said Claude Capdepon, global coordinator, Rousselot Application Laboratories, in a press release. “The formulation process of these products can, however, be challenging as one size does not fit all. Producers require innovative ingredients that are not only tailored to consumer preferences, but also the specific application like bars, powders, savory snacks and soups, baked goods and dairy foods. We have expanded our ProTake range to help our customers overcome these challenges and formulate a variety of tastier and healthier foods and beverages effectively. Alongside these solutions, we provide formulation, technical and regulatory support via Rousselot’s innovation labs to support our partners in creating next-generating products that consistently meet expectations and bring them to market more quickly.” 

The full portfolio will be presented by Rousselot in the new product zone at Fi Connect 2020 on Monday, November 30 from 11 – 11:30 a.m.

Rousselot, extended its ProTake portfolio of hydrolyzed collagen for food and drink formulations with three new clean-label solutions: ProTake Bar, ProTake Powder, and ProTake Foods.

Rousselot expands ProTake hydrolyzed collagen range at Fi Connect 2020 

Sabinsa (East Windsor, NJ) is offering glyphosate test results to customers of all the products the company sells. In October Sabinsa began testing for residual herbicide in 20 nutraceutical ingredients as a routine practice, along with all other USP listed pesticides, and are widening the scope to all products the company sells. Spices must be below 7 ppm and herbs below 0.2 ppm. Although glyphosate is a popular herbacide, its use has become controversial. Organizations such as the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research of Cancer has said it is carcinogenic to humans, and multi-million-dollar settlements have been issued for those with cancer found to be from exposure to the material. 

Sabinsa analyses glyphosate and its major metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA). The total of these two is reported as glyphosate. Glyphosate rapidly gets converted to AMPA after absorption in soil, which is why Sabinsa’s scientists decided to monitor AMPA in addition to glyphosate.

“The method development of these products is very challenging and time consuming, requiring skilled techniques,” said Sabinsa founder and chairman Muhammed Majeed, PhD, in a press release. “Given Sabinsa’s mission to improve human health, confirming purity of the materials we sell makes sense.”

In October Sabinsa began testing for residual herbicide in 20 nutraceutical ingredients as a routine practice, along with all other USP listed pesticides, and are widening the scope to all products the company sells.

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How nutrition bar manufacturers are competing in a crowded marketplace